Kismayo (AMISOM) — African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) convoy carrying troops from the Sierra Leone and Kenyan contingents travels along the main route between Kismayo and the town’s airport as it undertakes a security patrol through the town and surrounding area. AU-UN IST PHOTO – RAMADAN MOHAMED HASSAN
NAIROBI (Xinhua) — Kenya maintained on Wednesday it will not withdraw its troops form neighboring Somalia, despite increased terror attacks by insurgents from the Horn of Africa nation.
Deputy President William Ruto said increased terror attacks will not make Kenya run away, but will make it continue to play its role as a responsible neighbour to help stabilize the region.

“Kenya is not going to walk away from its duty as a responsible neighbour, we are going to stay engaged under the Amison arrangement until stability is realized in Somalia,” Ruto said during a news conference with visiting Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed in Nairobi.

The deputy president’s remarks came after a section of Kenyans including the opposition urged the government to withdraw troops from Somalia to prevent future terrorist attacks in the country.

The insurgents have surged their grenade and bomb attacks on Kenyan soil to protest the military incursion into southern Somalia in 2011.

But Ruto said the Kenyan military incursion in Somalia has weakened the ‘al-Shabaab’ militants’ capacity to carry out massive terror attacks in the region.

He said that Kenya being the largest economy in the region has a stake in what happens because the country suffers heaviest incase of instability.

“We will stay engaged because whenever we have instability in the region Kenya carries the heaviest part of the instability,”

He said he had held fruitful discussions with the Somalia premier earlier in the day.

They agreed on greater cooperation between security agencies of the two countries.

“We have agreed on greater cooperation between our security agencies and sharing of information by authorities on criminals who escape to either Somalia or Kenya,” he said.

Ruto noted that terrorism was an international problem whereby information sharing was necessary in the fight against the vice.

He said it was important to engage and work with sister countries for better information gathering adding today’s meeting also discussed how better linkages can be formed.

“As a country, we want to establish better linkages that will help us better respond to terrorist threats in the region,” he said.

The meeting also agreed that the tripartite agreement that was launched a few years ago will be concluded and officially made the channel and framework under which Somali refugees in Kenya will return to their country.

“This is an exercise that has been outstanding for almost one year but with today’s agreement, the tripartite agreement will be formalized in the next two weeks either in Nairobi or Mogadishu to allow voluntary safe return of refugees to Somalia,” Ruto said.

He also announced that Kenya plans to open its embassy in Somalia to facilitate easier transactions of issues between the two neighbors.

“We are going to fast track so that in the next couple of months there will be a full fledged Embassy in Mogadishu,” he said.
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EARLIER REPORT:

Kenyan business community appeals for calm and urges improved security

NAIROBI (Xinhua) — Kenya’s business community appealed for calm and urged the government to beef up security across the country, saying incidents of insecurity including recent terror attacks are harmful to the business environment.

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) chairman Vimal Shah also said the current political rhetoric in the country needs to be toned down through dialogue using existing constitutional frameworks.

“We have seen nations like Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Iraq in turmoil because dialogue failed.

“This fate must not befall us, for we are a nation of peace and harmony,” Shah said in a statement received on Wednesday.

The statement comes in the wake of twin attacks in the coastal region where at least 60 people were killed and many others injured.

The attacks which took place on Sunday and Monday nights have been blamed on local political networks despite Al-Shabaab claiming responsibility for the attacks.

KEPSA called for talks to take place so as to quell rising political temperatures in the country, saying the economy could lose its positive growth momentum if the current wave of unrest and insecurity is not extinguished.

KEPSA also acknowledged the efforts the government has put in securing people and business as well as reassuring the citizens and visitors on safety.

“We urge Kenyans to demonstrate love for this country by ensuring no one condones anyone – local or foreign – intent on spreading terror and despondency among Kenyans,” Shah said.

He said this year has been particularly trying for the business community.

Shah said investments are the lifeline of the envisaged economic turn-around as a country.

“But no meaningful investment or economic growth can thrive in an atmosphere of man-made anxiety.

“Without adequate investment and financing, growth is hampered,” he said.

Mombasa and Nairobi including parts of northern Kenya have in past witnessed grenade attacks where hundreds of people have lost their lives to terrorists since the troops launched cross border incursion into Somalia in 2011.

Kenya authorities this year foiled a major terror plot in Mombasa and arrested two suspects and seized a vehicle that was found laden with explosives.